Target: A
by pumpkinpaperweight
Summary: Lady A is the Endless Wood's most feared assassin. King Tedros of Camelot is her new victim- and the only one who has ever survived. The Endless Woods is in peril, and the investigator, sent to unravel the mystery and catch the criminal and her associates, will soon understand exactly why no one has succeeded before.
1. Poor Boy

**Chapter 1: A Plea for Help**

" _Agent Bohen? There's a…situation."_

 _Agent Adrian Bohen glanced up from his desk, scrutinizing the pretty young assistant at his door._

" _Situation? What kind of situation?"_

" _Assassination, sir. The assassination of Lord Skipwyth of Camelot."_

 _Adrian sat bolt upright in his chair, eyes wide._

" _Assassination?"_

" _He was stabbed in the back, sir."_

" _By who? What's his name?"_

" _Her name, sir."_

" _What?"_

" _It's a woman. She left a calling card on the body. A black and red rose, and her name carved into the dirt next to the body."_

" _Fine. What's her name, then?"_

" _She calls herself Lady A."_

* * *

Three years on from that day, and that pseudonym would soon become one of the most feared names in the Endless Woods. Lady A, the assassin of cold heart and iron will, never caught, rarely seen; even those who saw her fleetingly never escaped unscathed. The woman in the shadows, killing and kidnapping nobles from the Wood's various kingdoms. There didn't seem to be a pattern- the Endless Woods waited on tenterhooks, awaiting with terror the death of the Lady's next victim.

Soon, it became clear to Adrian Bohen and his small, scared, detective agency that the mysterious Lady A wasn't operating alone. More calling cards and carved names began to appear, each with a distinct method of killing- and with them, more shadowy eyewitness reports, more blurred photographs and interference-ridden footage, and more and more names sweeping the Woods. Hundreds of international-standard detective agencies had tried and failed to catch them, being wiped out agent by agent. Police and world-class fighters had been defeated, and there was no hint of where any of them might be hiding. Slowly, the feared names began to slide into terrifying legends, where any whisper of a sighting was an eruption of panic, and children grew up with a fear of Lady A and her Assassins. Nursery rhymes of macabre taste were written;

 _With Lady A, no one's secure,_

 _Killing farmers, nobles, priests and more,_

 _You can't run, you can't hide,_

 _You better take it in your stride,_

 _Don't trust the blonde all dressed in black,_

 _Avoid the man with the tattooed back,_

 _How about the Lady's mate,_

 _No one's seen him- is it fate?_

 _Lock your doors, seal the floors and hide the kitchen knife,_

 _Night-time ventures in the alleys can cost you your life._

Rarely sung to children, and instead offered as a cautionary tale to reckless young teenagers, the poem was the first to mention some of the main players that had, for a long time, been only spoken of in frightened whispers.

 _The blonde dressed all in black_ was a reference to a killer known as Dean Nevermore, who killed by luring young men away from their houses, then shooting them.

 _The man with the tattooed back_ whispered of Lupus, a beast-like man with an inked back, who shattered his victim's limbs and spine, then left them lying there with no help or relief.

 _The lady's mate._ Now there was an interesting one, thought Adrian. No one had actually seen him, as the song outlined, and there was arguments over who he was, and even if he existed. Some claimed he was her husband, others argued that he was her father, or brother, or perhaps simply just her partner- but Adrian thought it was most likely he was in some kind of relationship with her. There was no whisper of his existence for a long time, until, out of the blue, a man was found dead in a river, his bloodstream polluted and clogged with some kind of ink, poisoning his body. Confused, the people assumed it was a onetime murder, and turned back to Lady A-

Until it happened again, a month or so after the first, this time two bodies- one stabbed, one poisoned. Lady A's calling card on the body of the one who had been stabbed, and a wax seal on the back of the other-

A black seal imprinted with a claw.

After that, they called him Inkclaw.

There were many more, but Adrian's agency had them all documented, in order of appearance, method of assassination, calling card, apparent appearance, and recorded sightings. The last to appear had been Inkclaw, they knew. Once he was named, the new members stopped coming in. There was a lull in activity, and the entire population held their breath, knowing it couldn't be long until the next attack…

It just so happened that attack was the most significant yet, the one which would send a cry for help from a large Kingdom in the North, the hive of activity for Lady A and her associates, a suspected spot for a base.

No one safe, a once great kingdom crippled, now much like its ruler.

This was the Kingdom Adrian was sent to.

"Inspector?"

His new assistant stood in the doorway, fiddling nervously with a lock of raven hair. What was her name, again?

"You're wanted in the meeting room, sir."

Agatha. That was it. Agatha Woods. Adrian could remember criminal's alter-egos and codenames in a second, and identify them by their victim's wounds, but normal, mundane people's names? No chance.

"Thank you, Agatha. Did they say what they wanted?"

"No, sir. It seems serious, though."

"Alright, I'm going."

Adrian stood, stretched, and left his office, walking the short distance into the meeting room across the hall, as Agatha returned to her desk.

As soon as he entered, he could tell there was something seriously wrong. There was a murmur of anxious conversation, and other investigators ran in and out. Several people were on the phone, and there was video feed flashing across the screen on the wall.

When the door closed behind him, and was immediately accosted by several fellow workers, who dragged him over to their boss, who was perched on the main table, eyebrows furrowed as he ruffled through several sheets of paper.

Stefan Woods was Agatha's father, and the boss of their detective agency. He had solved numerous cases in his youth, before retiring to merely manage the others. He was greatly respected and strongly admired by the younger agents, but at the same time, a daunting figure of authority.

"W-what's happened, sir?" spluttered Adrian, trying to look professional and pretty sure he was failing.

Stefan sighed, setting down his papers and turning his gaze on the young man, who tried not to look away.

"Adrian, this is a serious situation. This is the mission for you. Do you think you can do it?"

Adrian forced down a sense of foreboding, and smiled what he hoped was confidently.

"Of course, sir. What's the situation?"

"Lady A, again. But she's gone for the big targets, this time. Very bold, yet somehow she hasn't been caught, and got away without a trace."

Stefan sighed again, eyes sad.

"Poor, poor boy. Adrian, she attacked young King Tedros of Camelot."


	2. Hooded Coat and Heeled Boots

**Chapter 2:**

Adrian stared, aghast, at his boss, who looked grim. He swivelled to everyone else within earshot, who looked just as serious as Stefan did.

Tedros was the son of the legendary King Arthur, the previous ruler of the northern kingdom of Camelot, who had died suddenly when the boy was only nine. Gossip claimed he was a heavy drinker, especially after his wife left him, but there was no evidence to suggest that was anything but rumour. Tedros had been crowned King at sixteen years old, after being away for several years whilst his father's council ruled the country, with disastrous results. With the lack of a proper ruler, Camelot soon became a hotspot for Lady A and her associates, especially when the police and detective agencies in Camelot began to attempt to go after them. An entire agency had been wiped out, with twenty of the thirty agents killed, and the rest point-blank refusing to do anything, fear having completely decimated their courage. When Tedros had returned and took the throne two years ago, the attacks and assassinations had slowly petered out, until any attacks in Camelot and its surrounding conquests were uncommon, and the fear was a myth of the past. There had been a few, of course, but no huge scale ones.

Until now, obviously.

"What happened? When?" asked Adrian

"Yesterday, but the news took a little while to filter through to us."

Stefan shuffled through his files, and found a sheet, handing it to Adrian for him to examine. It was a police statement;

 _At 19:37 on May 12_ _th_ _, a lady of the King's court, Baroness Alannah, was apparently returning from a meeting with Grand Vizier Merlin in the library, when she reported hearing a series of loud crashes and cracks from the top corridor in the west wing, as well as what sounded like gunfire, and a male scream, accompanied by female laughter, rather hysterical. Frightened, she called for several guards, Tristan Lewis, Chaddick Collins and Nicholas Brodie, who went to investigate, and returned to her quarters, extremely distressed. The guards were lightly armed, with only small knives and pistols. They reached the corridor quickly, in about three minutes, only to see a feminine figure in a hooded coat and heeled boots disappearing swiftly and quietly out of the opposite door, and King Tedros unconscious, bearing several bullet wounds in his left eye, spine, leg, and chest. Tristan immediately pursued the woman, suspecting her to be after someone else, but apparently not, as she had seemingly vanished, and no one had seen her pass in or out of the castle- indeed, no one seemed to have been aware she was there at all. No one saw anyone of her description on the streets or in alleys, and no vehicles were stolen. It was suspected she concealed herself in the castle, then slipped out in the chaos after the news of the attack got out, despite the castle being searched vigorously several times, by multiple people. Whilst Tristan searched for the attacker, Chaddick ran to fetch the earlier mentioned Grand Vizier Merlin, who as well as being close to the King, is also the most skilled doctor in the castle, whilst Nicholas stayed at the scene of the attack. Merlin came as soon as he heard what had happened, understanding the urgency, and stopping anyone else who tried to get into the corridor, so there would be lower risk of panic. Tedros was removed to the Saint August Hospital, and treated for 10 hours non-stop, and is now in a stable condition, but in debilitating pain. Castle staff and many members of court present I the castle that day have all been questioned by members of the police force- Officers Hort Bloodbrook and Hester Ravenswood, who proceeded to pronounce them all innocent, due to practically complete matchings of alibis amongst the ones questioned. As a result of this, the identity of the King's attacker is still uncertain, as he is inaccessible and in a too serious condition to be questioned, and what little of her the three guards saw was insufficient to confirm her identity. The many castle occupants assume she is the elusive "Lady A" of urban legend, and, as a black and red rose was found in the corridor, this indicates this particular theory to be correct- Lady A was, at least, present in the proceedings. More investigation will take place once the King is able to be questioned, and a statement will be released to the general public as soon as his majesty is in a condition to dictate one to his staff._

Adrian read the statement several times to take it all in, his mind clouded with queries and questions.

"When was this released?" was the first one out of his mouth, as he held the report back out to his boss.

"Early this morning." Answered Stefan, taking back the paper and tucking it into a file.

"Has Tedros made a statement?"

"Our contacts in Camelot say he hasn't yet, though castle sources say he is doing so as we speak."

"Have the police told the public what's happened?"

"They told them that the King had been attacked, but he was in a stable condition, and that there was no cause for panic."

"Not a very good explanation."

"No. The people have been demanding a proper statement, or a glimpse of the King."

"Right." Murmured Adrian, mind filing through the information, sorting it to make a clear picture. The report had been good, and gave a lot of information, and the sources seemed reliable. There was no cause for suspicion that he could see, yet he couldn't be completely sure everyone involved was trustworthy.

Stefan spoke, clapping his hands, suddenly business-like and brisk.

"Adrian, the job I have for you is to do with this attack. This agency, as you know, specialises in the monitoring and tracking of Lady A and her assistants, and this is the most serious attack she's ever made. We want you to go to Camelot, and investigate. We want you to question Tedros, if you can, we want you to find out what the people say about Lady A and her associates. We want an insider's view. Do you think you can do that?"

Adrian stood silently for a second, mulling it over. It wasn't difficult, but a job like that in a dangerous area was cause for extreme caution.

He'd have to be careful, he'd have to be subtle. He'd have to be casual, in no way suspicious, just a face in the crowd, to be able to manage to pull it off. He'd have to take note of anything and everything that happened.

He raised his head and looked Stefan straight in the eye.

"I'll do it."


	3. And You Didn't See Her Face?

**Chapter 3:**

" _Looks like we've got a certain agency on our tail."_

 _The group stood in the darkened room, examining a sheaf of documents._

" _Oh, please. They won't catch us." Scoffed a blonde stood carelessly in the corner._

" _Don't underestimate them. They're smarter than you think." Murmured the man beside her._

" _Where's the Lady? Does she know about them?"_

" _Oh, she knows."_

 _All eyes turned to the brunette sat with her feet on the table, polishing her rifle by the light filtering through the door._

" _Of course she knows. Why do you think she's not here?"_

* * *

"His majesty will be with you shortly." Said the steward stiffly, and backed out, shutting the door behind him with a snap.

Adrian glanced around the room. It was finely furnished and large, but seemed lonely and slightly sad. There was barely any personal touches, spare some papers scattered on a table and a jacket hung on a chair. For a sitting room of a King, it wasn't much to look at. He recollected what Agatha had told him the previous day, about the young monarch;

" _He's my age- eighteen." Stefan's daughter had explained as she printed his files off. "His dad's dead, his mum and his tutor are both gone, and he supposedly got attacked by the Assassins."_

" _Supposedly? You think it's fake?"_

 _Agatha hesitated, looking momentarily irritated._

" _Well, let's just say that Tedros of Camelot has- or had- a bit of a reputation for being a diva when he was younger. He loved attention. He may have- uh- matured a bit, since then, but there's a possibility there's a bigger fuss than there needs to be. Maybe he got himself into a bad situation and used the assassin cover story. No one actually saw him get attacked, did they?"_

 _Adrian had frowned, and Agatha hurriedly added on a:_

" _But that's just my opinion."_

Adrian had decided to make his own judgement, but he kept the assistant's words in mind as the door opened again, and the silence of the room was shattered by the talking of several people at once.

"My lord, are you sure-"

"Your majesty, I must reassure myself that you-"

"Are you sure you are capable-"

" _Thank you,_ gentlemen, but I am _fine."_

The attendants fell silent.

"You are dismissed. Jade, remain here."

"Yes my lord."

"Yes, your majesty."

The three attendants backed out with stiff bows, leaving only a young man and a teenage girl behind.

The King turned to Adrian, and smiled apologetically.

"My apologies, Agent Bohen. I assumed you would want to speak in private, and my advisors are um…talkative? What we say might have not taken more than a few hours to get out into the kingdom."

"Oh, uh, that's fine, my lord."

"Good. Please sit down."

Adrian nodded and sat nervously in one of the armchairs, whilst Tedros limped to the one opposite. He knew it was rude to stare, but it was difficult not to. The young king was breathing oddly, walking oddly, and talking oddly. His handsome face was marred with several long scars, and there was a bandage wound across his left eye.

"I've been told what you're here for." Said Tedros briskly, as soon as they were both seated.

"Oh. Right." Adrian was at a slight loss as to how to respond.

"And I'll answer your questions."

"Uh. Right. Okay, firstly, can you tell me exactly what happened?"

Tedros leaned back in his chair, brow furrowed, and began to talk.

"I was coming back from a meeting with several of my chief advisors in one of the spare meeting rooms, located in the west wing, when I heard a noise that sounded like a vase breaking. I went to investigate, armed only with the dagger I always carry. When I reached where I thought the noise had come from, the door I was approaching was flung open, and a woman dressed in a hooded black cloak nearly ran into me. I was shocked, I suppose, so I just kind of stood there, so I didn't realise she was armed: until she started laughing and pulled a rifle off her shoulder.

 _Too easy, sire, too easy_! she told me, then cocked the gun. I decided the best thing to do was yell, which I did. I know now that Baroness Alannah had heard me, but neither I nor my attacker knew that at the time. So before I could do anything else, she shot me. I don't remember much else after that, apart from hearing her yell something that sounded like _where's your healer when you need him?_ I came round about two days ago, and Merlin told me I had a pierced lung, shattered leg, and a missing eye. I spoke to the two police officers, who informed me there was no suspects within the castle. I released an official statement a few hours ago to stop the people panicking."

"I see." Said Adrian, scribbling notes down as fast as he could. "Do you personally think the woman was, in fact, Lady A?"

Tedros pursed his lips. The girl behind him- Jade? - shifted and coughed, casting a glance at her master, who didn't react.

"It's possible." The King of Camelot said reluctantly. "There is a rumour that she and her associates have a vendetta against myself and my family."

"And you didn't see her face?"

"Like I said, her face was covered by a hood."

"Alright."

"Is that all?" asked Tedros mildly, but Adrian could tell he was anxious to leave. It was unsurprising and not particularly suspicious. He'd just been asked to answer numerous questions about a rather uncomfortable subject, not long after it had occurred. An attempted assassination was not an easy subject to speak about. Adrian admired the young man's resilience, or apparent resilience. He hadn't forgotten what Agatha had said about Arthur's son, although he now doubted it strongly.

"Yes, that's all. Thank you, your majesty."

Adrian stood quickly, slightly uncomfortable under Tedros's piercing, one-eyed stare, and bowed.

"Good Afternoon, sire. I promise you I will try my hardest to finally capture and bring to justice the biggest threat in your kingdom, and to yourself. I wish you a swift recovery."

"Thank you, Agent Bohen."

He turned and left quickly, eager to get out and mull over what he'd found out.

If he'd looked back, he would have seen the young King and his silent attendant watching him leave, both wearing identical expressions.

And neither looked happy.


	4. Maybe He Mistook Me For Someone Else

**Chapter 4:**

"So?" asked the secretary, the car they were seated in rattling over the bumpy road.

"So what?"

"How was it?"

Adrian glanced over at Agatha, frowning.

"Why does it matter to you?"

Agatha scowled at the road ahead.

"Just wondering. What was he like?"

"You have an odd obsession with him."

Agatha pinked.

"It's not an obsession!" she protested. "I told you, I don't like him. I was just wondering what he was like, seeing as I haven't encountered him since I was sixteen."

"Sure, whatever. He was very formal and polite, a good listener, and he told me a lot of what I need to know. Seems like the poor guy needs a bit of a quieter life, if you ask me. He's lost an eye, you know, from the attacker's gun. Facial scarring, limp, bad lungs. Attracts bad luck, doesn't he?"

Agatha frowned thoughtfully, but said nothing other than;

"Looks like he's changed up a bit."

They sat in silence for a bit, as Adrian flipped back through his notes. He was glad Agatha had come with him, really, even if she did just sit around in her hotel room all day, eating Doritos and watching movies. Stefan had claimed he needed someone who could contact the agency for him if he got into a bad situation, so Adrian now had Agatha on speed dial, as well as several other ways to contact her, like her email, although he couldn't see how he'd need it- all he'd done so far was use it to sign up for various sites, and cause her to be spammed with offers, effectively irritating her, whilst he was out investigating. It wasn't to say Agatha did nothing, though. She had access to all their known information on the assassins and their victims, as well as being able to update it from where they were, should they gain new information, and she could also alert him, if there was any activity with their targets- although, suspiciously, nothing had happened for several months now, as if they'd gone silent.

It was then that Agatha spoke, breaking into Adrian's reverie.

"I found you a lead today."

"I thought you sat around watching _Love Actually_ and eating M&Ms."

Agatha rolled her eyes.

"Besides that. There's an eyewitness living around by our hotel, a girl called Cassandra, or Cassie, Stairdale. She's the only living person who's seen, or thinks she's seen, Inkclaw."

"Oh, right. But how am I supposed to talk to her? Knock on her door and say _hello miss, I'm an agency inspector and I'm here to forcefully interrogate you about the most likely traumatic time you supposedly saw a murderer who might not even be real._ Not like she'll slam the door in my face and call the police or anything."

Agatha groaned, honking the horn at several scruffily-dressed teenage boys sprinting across the road in front of them.

"You know, I almost used to respect you, as my boss. Not anymore. No, I went and talked to her today, told her that we were going to try and catch the assassins, and if she'd help us, that would be really great. Softened her up a bit, and we're having lunch with her tomorrow."

"In public?"

"That'd be suicide, we'd get shot by some hidden assassin on the spot. She's super rich, so we're eating at her house. Buy some decent clothes, Adrian."

"I have a suit, you know. I am wearing it. Like now."

"Too formal. It's just lunch."

"Ugh. Fine, I'll go in the morning."

Adrian lapsed back into silence, gazing out of the window, as the sun sank into the horizon, casting pinkish streaks across the sky. They were out of town now, passing the outskirts of trees and a forest heading towards the main city.

"Wait, what's that?" said Agatha suddenly

Adrian blinked.

"What's what?"

Agatha frowned out of the windshield, eyes narrowed.

"Looks like- OH MY GOD!"

She slammed her foot on the brakes, and the car came to screeching halt on the isolated road- just as a crack resonated across the quiet road, and several bullets whistled past the car.

A hooded man stepped out of the trees, clutching a pistol.

"This is a robbery. Put your hands behind your head, and step out of the car."

Agatha swore loudly, but did as he said, Adrian following suit, mind racing for ways they could get out of this. They weren't armed, and there was several valuable things in the boot; Agatha's laptop, his phone and files, and both of their ID cards. If the man found them, they wouldn't stand a chance.

They both stepped out of the car, as the robber prowled closer, peering at the car, then at them. Agatha had pulled the hood of her jacket over her head as she got out, probably by accident.

"You got any valuables?"

"No." said Adrian, hoping to sound convincing.

The robber scoffed.

"Everyone has something, mate. With a car like that, you two have gotta have something. What're you doing out here, on such a nice evenin'?"

"We're coming back from a restaurant." Lied Agatha deftly.

The man turned to her, his visible mouth curving into a frown.

"Take your hood down, sweetheart. Let's see your pretty face."

Agatha hesitated, but slowly tugged down her hood, exposing her face.

The effect was instantaneous. The bandit jolted like he'd been hit, and he made a choking sound. He stumbled backwards, then flung his hands in front of him as if to defend himself.

"For-forgive me, ma'am! I- I didn't realise! I was just doin' my job, see? No harm done, right? I-I'll be going. H-have a good night, ma'am."

He spun on his heel, and fled like a kicked dog.

Agatha and Adrian stood there in bemusement, as they watched him disappear into the gloom.

"Wh-what was that?" stammered Adrian. "Do you know him?"

"N-no? Maybe he mistook me for someone else?" offered Agatha, turning back to the car.

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Well. He's gone, at least. C'mon, let's go." Muttered his secretary, flinging open the driver's side door and casting a furtive glance at the darkening trees around them, before ducking back into her seat.


	5. She Was An Assassin?

**Chapter 5:**

"Who would you have been mistaken for?" mused Adrian, as they got out of the car, in the hotel car park. "It doesn't make sense."

"I don't _know_." Snapped Agatha, patience tested. "I've never met anyone who looks like me. Besides, you're the detective. _You_ figure it out."

"I'm not superhuman!" blazed Adrian, hurrying after Agatha. "I look at _evidence and clues_! At witnesses! I don't just _know_!"

" _Keep your voice down!"_ hissed the secretary, spinning to the detective. "This country is swarming with Lady A's associates, don't you forget! If she was to know you were here, looking for her, she'd have you dead in seconds!"

Adrian fell silent, eyes sweeping the silent and seemingly deserted car park.

"Yeah, whatever." He mumbled, brushing past Agatha and stomping towards the hotel.

* * *

"ADRIAN! WAKE UP, YOU LAZY ASS!"

Adrian yelped and fell off the bed. Scrambling to the door, he threw it open to reveal Agatha stood there, arms folded.

"What kind of agent are you? Sleeping until ten?"

"We discussed this last night." Yawned Adrian. "Anyway, you're one to talk. You rarely leave your room."

"At least I'm dressed. Batman pyjamas?"

Adrian glanced down at his bare chest and batman pyjama bottoms.

"Oh, shut up."

Agatha smirked. "You missed breakfast, and you need to get clothes for lunch with Cassandra."

"Fine, fine." Huffed the agent, turning back into the room. "When is it?"

"At half one. I'll meet you in the car park."

"Right. What're you doing?"

Agatha shrugged.

"Deleting all the spam emails you signed me up for?"

Adrian grinned sheepishly as Agatha closed the door, and turned to his dresser, passing his window as he went-

There was someone stood on the gravel path outside his window.

He slowly backed towards the glass, and peered out cautiously, trying to remain unseen.

They were female, he decided, tall, around 5' 10, her hair a mess of tawny strands. She was clad in artfully ripped jeans and a Green Day shirt, but her eyes were obscured by a large pair of sunglasses- not as odd as it could have been, being a bright and sunny morning. He wouldn't have normally have payed much attention to her, if she hadn't been loitering suspiciously on the wall and clutching a large duffel bag, glancing occasionally up at the window beside his. Which happened to be Agatha's window.

He frowned, and reached for his phone on top of the dresser, trying not to let the girl out of his sight as he texted Agatha, then snapped a subtle picture.

 _Girl loitering outside your window. Looks fishy, keep an eye on her. I've got a picture. I'm going to get clothes for lunch now, so won't see her again probably._

The reply came a few minutes later, as he was getting in the car.

 _She's gone, but I saw her. Keep an eye out when you're shopping._

 _I will. Did you recognise her?_

 _No, but I'm going to look for matches on the database soon, if you send me the picture. Did you?_

 _No. Why are all the suspicious people interested in you?_

 _We've been through this, Adrian. I don't_ _ **know.**_

 _Alright, alright._

Slightly peeved, Adrian stuffed his phone in his pocket and started the engine.

* * *

Half an hour later, Adrian had semi-formal clothes and no more sightings of the strange girl or the man from last night. He had thought this case would be complicated, but he hadn't expected this many questions to have cropped up so soon. Agatha was no help, becoming grumpy he seemed to suspect her every time he asked, so it looked like he was on his own-

His phone buzzed in his pocket just as he was nearly back to his car. A text from Agatha?

 _Adrian. Get back here now._

The short urgency of the message made him stop dead.

 _Why? What's wrong?_

The reply came as he was halfway back at a red light. Agatha was obviously struggling to word what she'd found out.

 _The girl matched with someone on the agency database. We're not sure…but we think she was an assassin._

The pit of his stomach grew ice cold.

 _Who?_

He got the reply halfway down a busy street, so didn't check it until he was back at the hotel's car park.

 _Jaydison._

Adrian felt the blood in his face drain away.

Up three flights of stairs, along the corridor he ran, before banging on Agatha's door frantically, hoping desperately that she was okay.

To his immense relief, she flung it open almost instantly.

" _It was Jaydison?"_ He demanded in horror.

"Shhh! Come in!"

Agatha dragged him into the room, closing the door with a furtive glance around the corridor.

"Don't want panic if anyone hears you." She murmured, and hurried over to her laptop, where the files were open already, as Adrian peered over her shoulder.

"We don't have much photographic evidence of her. She's either high up or riding a motorbike, so photos or videos are difficult to get. But these are the two we've got."

She brought up two grainy, bad quality photos that Adrian recognised from his extensive studies on the assassins in Camelot. The first was taken at night, showing a blurry woman with brunette hair leaping from a balcony, rifle slung over her back as she jumped. The second showed a leather clad, helmeted figure roaring down an empty street on a motorbike, a black car close behind her. He knew these to be the only supposed photos of Jaydison that the agency had access to.

"The girl you photographed today has the same hair colour and length, skin pallor, figure, and similar height to the suspected appearance of sharpshooter and biker, Jaydison. Do you think we should alert the agency?"

Adrian frowned.

"It's likely that is was her…but we can't be sure. Let them know it's a strong possibility that we've seen her, and we'll be on high alert."

"Right." Sighed Agatha, typing furiously. "And do we ask Cassandra- ohhhhhhhh."

Both of their eyes slowly travelled to the clock on Agatha's laptop.

 _1:10_

They were meeting Cassandra at 1:30.

Both agents leaped to their feet in synchronised horror.

"We're gonna be _late."_ Hissed Adrian, scooping up his bag of clothes he'd just bought and crashing back to his room, as Agatha wrenched open her closet and grabbed a dress, diving into her bathroom.

In a record time of four minutes, Adrian crashed into the foyer, hoisting his bag onto his shoulder and buttoning up the last few buttons on his shirt.

"Agatha, we've got to go…"

He trailed off, gaping at her as she spun to him, flinging a leather jacket over her arms and a bag over her back.

"Uh…"

Agatha blinked, clad in a simple blue dress and silver flats, hair quickly plaited, and large dark eyes flaunting subtle mascara and eyeliner.

"What?"

"I-uh…"

Adrian's stomach did a backflip.

"N-nothing." He managed, hurrying past her with an immense effort, and through the doors. "Let's go."


	6. Or Someone's Lying

**Chapter 6:**

Adrian would be surprised he didn't end the drive to Cassandra's manor with multiple speeding tickets, but there was always a first time. Agatha was in the back making multiple frantic phone calls and trying to direct him at the same time.

"Left here, left here- no not you, Father, Adrian! Yes, it's a too bigger resemblance to just dismiss it- SECOND TURNING! - no, we don't know where she went, but I'm assuming she either realised she'd been spotted or was called back somewhere- down here, keep going- or maybe she did what she came to do. No, right turn! Do I think they know Adrian's here? I don't know. I don't think so, not yet. But I'd say it's only a matter of- YOU MISSED THE TURNING AGAIN YOU PRICK- time. Alright, I'll call properly later once we've got some information- third times the charm, _well done,_ you got it wrong _twice_ \- _no, I was talking to Adrian,_ we're nearly late, call me back if I don't call you. Bye- no, no. Alright, bye."

Agatha hung up and scowled.

"He talks a lot. We're here now, let me talk to the security guard."

She rolled down the window and leaned out as Adrian drew up at a pair of tall iron gates sealed shut.

"Agent Adrian Bohen and Assistant Investigator Agatha Woods, to see Lady Cassandra."

The guard looked at their identifications, and seemed to see nothing wrong with them, grunting and pressing a buzzer near his elbow. This unlocked the gates and cleaved a narrow path into the courtyard of the Lady's mansion.

Adrian whistled as he drew up the car in the shadow of the looming building in front of them.

"That's one big house."

Agatha rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Agent Bohen, she's loaded. We're late, move it."

They scrambled out and clattered across the cobbles- as a young woman in a sea green shirt and black skirt hurried down the steps they were about to climb.

Agatha stumbled to a halt.

"Lady Cassandra!"

"Oh, Agatha, I heard what happened with the assassin."

Agatha looked at Adrian, who looked about as confused as she did.

"Oh…you did?"

"Yes, yes, they told me." Stammered Cassandra, tugging nervously on the end of her braid. "Anyway, come in, come in, we shouldn't discuss it here. You're Agent Bohen?" she added, casting a violet gaze over Adrian.

"Yes, ma'am." Confirmed Adrian, following the two women up the steps and biting back a question as to how she was in contact with the agency.

"Oh, good, good." Said Cassandra a little distractedly, glancing at Agatha nervously, who smiled reassuringly, but frowned at Adrian in concern once the Lady had looked away. Cassandra seemed off, Adrian thought, like she was anxious, awaiting something. He made a mental note to try and work out what was bothering her. It was so odd, it was almost suspicious. As soon as he'd had the thought, he glanced around to get a bearing of his surroundings. They were inside now, and the entrance hall was deserted and a little chilly. It reminded him of the sitting room in the castle, the sad and lonely room that King Tedros had spoken to him in. Were all nobility living like this?

They followed the young woman up the main staircase and along a thickly carpeted hall that smelled faintly of jasmine, and through a door into a small dining room with a view of a distant lake, surrounded by cherry blossom trees. It was pleasant, quiet, but almost too quiet.

"Please, sit down." Stammered Cassandra, and both Agatha and Adrian sat, glancing at each other in concern.

"So, um, we'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind." Began Adrian, watching as Cassandra hurried shakily around the room, lighting a couple of incense sticks.

"Oh, oh, um, of course." Stammered Cassandra, struggling to light a match, and breaking it instead. "What would you like to know- oh, bother." She had dropped the second match, still unlit, her hands were shaking so much.

"Here." Agatha stood and gently took the box of matches from her trembling fingers. "You sit down and talk to Adrian, I'll do it."

Cassandra smiled gratefully and dropped into a chair opposite Adrian, still quite shaky. He'd seen witness like this before, terrified they'd somehow get into trouble for simply being there. They were usually reluctant to admit what they'd been doing, and tried their hardest to stay uninvolved. This would be difficult.

"Alright, Lady Cassandra. Agatha tells me you think you've seen Inkclaw." He said calmly as Agatha sat down again and several waiters strode in bearing a tureen of soup. "Can you tell me, in your own words, what happened, please?"

Cassandra stared at her hands for a couple of minutes, and Adrian was about to ask her again, when she spoke, scooping up her soup spoon and shakily beginning to eat. She spoke in-between mouthfuls and stayed focused on her bowl.

"About a week ago, I went out with several of my friends, shopping, getting something to eat, the like. We were out for about four hours, and it was starting to get dark when we said our goodbyes and headed home. I'd taken the bus into the town so I was taking it back home again. To get through the stop you have to walk through some of the most known streets for assassin attacks, so it was very quiet. I hurried through as fast as I could, feeling quite uncomfortable, and as I got to the last corner, I saw a man stood in the mouth of an alleyway, hooded in a trench coat. He was just stood there, leaning on the wall, which made me suspicious, because I couldn't see if he was looking at me or anything. Then I realised he was talking quietly into a phone, and he wasn't looking at me. I'm not sure if he saw me or not, but I heard part of his conversation."

She stopped, and started shovelling down soup again.

"What did he say? What did he sound like?" questioned Adrian, sensing she was uncomfortable.

"Well… I… I didn't stop… but he said something like _no, we'll have to wait, then send it. Not too soon, or we'll not have enough time to prepare-_ then he lifted his head and saw me, and I just froze up, I was so scared. He then said: _rule number four, it may have to change. Just a minute._ And hung up, still looking at me, and I was shaking, because I thought I'd recognised his voice. But when he spoke now, it sounded different, like he'd had an accent on the phone and now he'd dropped it. He said _don't you know eavesdropping is rude?_ And I was so terrified, I just stood there, and he straightened up, and walked past me, and, as he passed, he brushed past me. I just stood there, staring straight ahead, scared to look back and see him, so I don't know which way he went. As soon as his footsteps disappeared I ran, all the way to the bus stop, then ran from the other stop back here. When I got in and had regained my senses, I looked at my coat, and saw that where he'd brushed past me, there was a splatter of ink. It had gone through my coat and my shirt, all the way onto my skin, where it had stained my skin. It won't fade."

She rolled up her sleeve, and showed them a stain of black ink stark on her pale skin.

"Is it an irritant? Does it hurt?"

Cassandra shook her head.

"No, it's just there. I think it's…some kind of marker. I haven't left the house, because I only have one coat for this season and it's the one with the ink on it, and I think they'd identify me from it, and goodness knows what they'd do to me if they thought I'd overheard planning for something."

"I see." Adrian finished noting it all down, and sat back, clearing his bowl. "Did you see or hear anything that might help us identify Inkclaw better? We have next to no information on him."

"Y-you think it was him?" stammered Cassandra, eyes widening.

Adrian saw no point in lying to her.

"I think it's extremely likely, ma'am. The description of him you've given, the trench coat, as well as the hastily dropped accent and the ink are all of the traits we have as possible identifiers, as few as there are."

Cassandra swallowed.

"I think he was tan, but it was hard to see because it was dark, but so many people are around here it's not helpful, really. He was tall, maybe 6 foot 2 or 3? After he'd dropped the accent he had the accent everyone around here has, but before…"

Aha. This was the bit she was keeping back.

"Yes?"

"B-before he'd sounded posher, more formal. He… he sounded like…a noble. The accent all the noblemen have."

Adrian's heart leaped.

"You think Inkclaw is a nobleman?"

"Or posing as one." Mumbled Cassandra. "But that could mean that he's part of the King's inner circle-"

"Meaning he's identifying targets from inside the castle." Finished Agatha.

"Yes." Agreed Cassandra. "That's why I haven't been attending court. I've been too scared to."

"That's understandable." Agreed Agatha, and all three lapsed into silence as the next course was brought in- but Adrian barely noticed what he was eating. He was too busy mulling over what Cassandra had told him, slotting it in together with the police report and what Tedros had told him. It was mostly a fit, but there was a few things…

"Cassandra, what do you know about the attack on the King?"

Cassandra sighed.

"I was questioned by the police, as a member of court, and I just told them I was at home all day, which I was. I probably just know what you know."

"Did the guards go back to Baroness Alannah's rooms after the attack?"

Cassandra blinked at the specific question.

"I… I don't know. I don't think so, I think one stayed with the King, one went after the attacker and one went for Merlin. Why?"

Adrian frowned, confused.

"Because either someone's gotten confused, or someone's lying."

Both women's heads shot up.

"The police report said that they went back to Alannah, but then went on to say what you just said."

"Huh?"

"Cassandra, do you know Alannah?"

"Not personally, but I think she's out of the country, with her family. It sort of traumatised her, I think."

"The police officers?"

"Yes, Officer Ravenswood and Officer Bloodbrook. They're always at the police station."

"Thank you. It looks like I'm looking for them tomorrow."

"Right." Mumbled Cassandra.

Adrian glanced over at Agatha, and did a double take. Agatha was glaring bitterly at her plate, eyebrows furrowed, face a picture of anger.

"Agatha? What's up?"

Agatha blinked, and glanced over at him.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just… my dad. You know?"

She turned back to her plate, flushing. Adrian decided not to press her.

Soon, they were escorted back to their car, and Cassandra pulled Adrian aside to talk to him.

"Be careful, Adrian." She warned, chewing her lip. "They don't make mistakes, Lady A's associates, and if they do, they aren't real msitakes. Good luck."


	7. With Lady A, No One's Secure

**Chapter 7:**

Adrian was woken by his phone ringing loudly and piercingly in his ear. Groaning, he rolled over and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" he croaked, trying to sound alert and failing miserably.

" _Adrian, have you seen Agatha today?"_

He recognised Stefan's voice on the other end and immediately sat up, flattening his hair down despite the fact Stefan was miles away.

"No, sir, I haven't left my room yet today, or been to breakfast. Shall I check on her?"

" _Yes, please, she's not answering her phone. Get her to call me back."_

Stefan hung up and Adrian sighed, swinging his legs out of bed and fumbling for his jumper and jeans. It wasn't particularly early, but Agatha slept in late when she could, he supposed. She might have just been ignoring her father, based on how she'd spoken of him at Lady Cassandra's house yesterday. He knew she wasn't exactly close with her father, but he didn't think they had a too bad relationship- but maybe he'd been wrong. Perhaps they'd had a fight, he mused as he left his room, intending to try and ask her.

He slouched down the corridor and knocked on her door sluggishly, expecting her to fling open the door and glare at him.

"Agatha? You awake?" he yawned.

He paused, waiting for a reply. There was none.

He tried again.

"Agatha? Are you okay?"

Still nothing. He frowned, pressing his ear against the door.

"Are you ignoring me? Agatha?"

More silence.

"Hello?" Adrian paused, wondering if she was replying and he couldn't hear her. "Agatha? Are you there? Open the door."

Bemused, he decided to call her. Maybe she was in the bathroom or something. But the showers were really loud here, and he couldn't hear it. If she could hear him, she'd be yelling at him. It was quiet.

 _Too_ quiet.

He leaned against the door, trying to see through the peephole, unsuccessfully. His phone rang… and rang… and rang…

And skipped to voicemail.

 _Hey, this is Agatha. Sorry, I can't pick up right now, try calling me later or leave a message-_

Adrian hung up, confusion starting to give way to worry. He tried the handle. Locked.

What was going on?

Heart beating faster, he hurried back to his door and to the window, opening it and leaning out, trying to see hers. It was swinging open slightly, curtains flapping in the slight breeze. But it wasn't that which worried him to a state of panic.

It was that the curtains were ripped and torn to shreds.

He staggered back inside, eyes wide, and took several deep breaths, trying to stop himself from going into a blind panic. It could have been an animal or something, right? Maybe she'd gone out and forgotten to tell him?

He leaned forwards to look at the curtains again, but now he was sure that it wasn't an animal. The window was open, and there was no way an animal could have opened it. Agatha was smart enough to close her window when she slept. They were on a dangerous case.

 _The front desk._ He told himself. _They have a master key. They can get into her room._

He swallowed and turned to the stairs, downstairs before he realised what had happened.

* * *

The woman at the front desk took in his urgent manner and looked slightly concerned.

"Are you alright, sir?" she asked, with a frown. "Can I help you?"

"I-it's my friend. Both I and her father have tried to contact her, and she's not answering her phone. I knocked on her door and got no response. Her window is open and the curtains are slashed. Can you get into the room?"

The woman looked worried.

"We can only open rooms for officials, sir, I'm afraid. Would you like me to call the police?"

"No, not yet-"

The receptionist interrupted him, looking slightly exasperated.

"Listen, sir, I cannot-"

Adrian slapped his ID on the desk.

"That won't be necessary, miss, not yet."

The woman read the card, her eyes widening as she realised who he was. She swallowed once or twice.

"I think my manager will grant you the master key, inspector. Come right this way."

She stood, and handed him back the card with trembling hands, leading him into the offices behind the desks.

The manager took one look at the card, and went grey.

"You say your friend isn't answering, Inspector Bohen? To you or her father?"

"That's right." Said Adrian stiffly, resisting the urge to tell the man to hurry up.

"You tried calling her?"

"I did."

"Her window is open and the curtains are slashed?"

"That's what I _said."_ Snapped Adrian, momentarily losing his cool.

"R-right." Stammered the manager, grappling to stay composed, knowing full well that this was threatening to his hotel's business. "Come with me, if you please, sir."

He handed the ID back with shaky hands and led Adrian from the office, shooting him the occasional fearful glance. Adrian didn't particularly like imposing his status as an inspector onto people, but sometimes it had to be done.

"Th-this won't reflect badly on our hotel, will it, inspector?" he asked weakly, wringing his hands and tugging his collar, as he walked up the stairs beside the other man.

"That remains to be seen." Said Adrian tersely, teeth gritted. He didn't like where this man's priorities lay, but he supposed it was understandable.

The manager turned faintly green and said nothing else. He produced a key card from his pocket and swiped it.

The lock clicked.

Adrian, trepidation roiling in his stomach, reached out a hand and hesitantly pushed open the door.

His heart took a rapid dive into his feet.

The room looked fine from the first glance. Bed messy and unmade, cupboard doors closed and bathroom neat but lived-in. Agatha's suitcase was stowed under the bed, slightly open, and he could see all of her possessions in it. Her laptop was closed on the desk and a jacket was tossed on the back of the chair. Her phone was still there too, tossed on top of the desk beside the laptop.

But it was the back wall that made him feel sick to the stomach. It was the back wall that made his head spin and his heart thump wildly.

The window hadn't been opened from the inside, it had been broken into- he could see where it had been forced open. The curtains were slashed and torn, and stained with a dark, crusted _something_ that looked like… actually, he didn't want to think about what that was. There was a dark glass bottle and a cloth discarded on the windowsill.

And, sprayed above the window, was a graffitied message in black paint.

 _With Lady A, no one's secure._

Adrian's eyes travelled to the vase on the bedside table.

The other flowers were gone. He could see them torn apart and scattered on the table. They had been replaced.

Replaced by a single red and black rose.


	8. Telephone

**Chapter 8:**

"You've told us everything you know?"

" _Yes."_ Snapped Adrian, staring stoically at the greasy haired policewoman in front of him, high collar not quite covering the tattoo on her neck, and the ponytail not obscuring the red streaks in her dark hair. She glared at him and he looked away, deciding it was best not to provoke her.

"One last thing." she added. Officer Ravenswood, her name was, and the man behind her was Officer Bloodbrook. They were the police officers that had released the incorrect report. The ones he was going to interrogate. But now they were interrogating him. How ironic.

He frowned as she held up Agatha's phone.

"Can you try and get into this? It's locked, and Stefan Woods can't get do it."

Adrian's frown changed to a scowl.

"Alright."

She tossed him the phone and stood.

"We'll be in touch, Agent Bohen. Don't do anything rash. We'll find her, you focus on your assignment."

Adrian glowered at their backs as they left, shutting the door smartly behind them, then turned his attention to the phone in his hand. It wasn't anything special, just a regular, slightly scratched phone. He turned it on and stared blankly at the password keypad, trying to guess it. It would have to be something important, or it could just be random numbers. It wouldn't be her birthday. Too obvious.

He frowned, trying to see the finger marks on the screen. There wasn't any.

 _Dammit, Agatha._ She wasn't making this easy at all, he thought, slumping back onto his bed.

It would likely be a date, he decided. Agatha was like that. But when? What date? Like he'd thought, not her birthday. She wasn't stupid. He ran through what he knew about Agatha, which wasn't a lot. He rarely saw her use her phone. It was a company phone, so she was probably careful with it-

He sat bolt upright, almost throwing the phone at the wall.

A company phone! If it was a company phone, her passcode would be to do with the company! She was organised enough to do that. Maybe… the date she started working there! It was about two months ago, wasn't it? It was quite obvious, though…

It was worth a try. He keyed in the date, not really expecting it to work.

The phone unlocked.

Adrian gaped at it in disbelief. He'd actually done it? It seemed easy. Too easy.

He shook his head and tapped on her messages, intending to have a snoop before he gave it to the police. The first message was from a hidden number, so he pressed on it, not bothering to read the message preview.

His stomach plunged to his feet.

 _Hello, Agatha. You're smart, you know. A bit too smart._

 _ **Who is this? How did you get my number?**_

 _You don't need to know. Just know The Lady isn't happy with you or your detective boyfriend._

 _ **Boyfriend? He's not my boyfriend.**_

 _No, I suppose not._ __ _We've been watching you both, though, and that's the impression we got._

 _ **You're an assassin.**_

 _I said you were smart._

 _ **What do you want?**_

 _Nothing right now. But I'll tell you again, Miss Woods, that The Lady is not pleased. You'd do well to appease her. You continue, and we'll interfere._

 _ **You won't.**_

 _You would think so. But you're wrong._

 _ **Why's that?**_

 _Check your door. I think you'll find it's locked._

Here, Adrian supposed Agatha had done so, because here the messages ended. Panicked, he went onto the voicemail-

The same hidden number.

He played it with shaking hands. It wasn't a message, he realised. Agatha had recorded the conversation. It rang a few times, then Agatha picked up.

 _ **Hello?**_ Agatha's voice was shaky, and Adrian suspected she knew it was going to be the same person, and had recorded it for that reason.

 _With Lady A, no one's secure, killing farmers, nobles, priests and more. You can't run, you can't hide, you better take it in your stride. Don't trust the blonde all dressed in black, avoid the man with the tattooed back. How about the Lady's mate? No one's seen him- is it fate? Lock your doors, seal the floors and hide the kitchen knife. Night-time ventures in the alleys can cost you your life._

The song was recorded, sung softly by a woman.

 _ **Go away! Leave me alone!**_

Agatha sounded almost hysterical now, and Adrian felt a pang of fear for his partner. The voice on the end of the line laughed.

 _No! No, no. We're coming for you._

Adrian heard Agatha's shaky intake of breath.

 _ **What?**_

 _Turn around._

The call was punctuated by a bang, and Agatha's gasp. He heard the thud of feet, and Agatha yelled-

The cry was muffled, before it cut off entirely, and he heard the thud of the phone hitting the floor, and the sound of the footsteps retreating, heavier, and something being dragged. There was a pause, and then he heard the snap of a stapler and the hiss of a can of spray paint.

 _See you soon, sweetie!_

The call ended.

Adrian felt sick. Agatha had been kidnapped by the assassins. Lady A had found out they were here. Which begged the question, how? And more importantly:

Why didn't they go for _him_?

He leaped to his feet, intent of finding Stefan and showing him, when the door flew open.

"Adrian! I heard!" Cassandra stood there, windswept and wide-eyed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Cassandra-"

"Shh. Listen to me."

Cassandra closed the door and darted towards him, expression urgent.

"You want to find her, right?"

"Y-yeah, but…"

Cassandra's voice dropped to a conspirator's whisper.

"There's a ball at the mansion of one of my friends. If I go, there's a high chance there will be an assassin there. If you follow them, or catch them and make them tell you, you could find Agatha."

Adrian sighed.

"Look, thanks, Cassandra, but it's not likely we can pull it off, and-"

"Adrian, there's no way the police or Stefan will let you try and find her. They'll send you back and call a full scale investigation."

Adrian paused. If there was one thing he didn't want, it was that.

"So you think if you ask for me to go with you to this ball…"

"They'll let you stay! You can try and catch them!"

Adrian hesitated, then sighed.

"I could get fired for this. Let's do it."


	9. The King and Miss Woods

**Chapter 9:**

"And I'd feel much safer if Adrian accompanied me." Finished Cassandra, peering innocently at the two police officers and one detective, all of whom looked sceptical. "It's a masquerade ball." She added. "So I think there's a small chance of either of us being recognised by anyone unfriendly."

"Well…" managed Stefan. "I think it's better that Agent Bohen continues with his assignment…"

Cassandra considered this.

"Well, yes, but if something _were_ to happen to me… and I didn't have an agent to protect me…"

Stefan squirmed, realising what she was implying. If Cassandra was kidnapped, or worse, then it would be on them. Another courtier death would be bad, especially as they were trying to stop that exact thing from happening. Stefan looked at Officer Ravenswood and Officer Bloodbrook, who looked back at him.

"Fine." Grumbled Officer Ravenswood. "But you're still on your case, Agent Bohen. Understand? You're being held responsible for your partner's kidnapping, so if you mess up one more time, you're done."

" _What?"_ demanded Adrian indignantly. " _My_ fault?"

" _One. More. Time."_ Hissed Officer Ravenswood.

Adrian nodded sullenly, feeling very much like a scolded child.

* * *

The next night, Cassandra, shawl wrapped securely around her ink-stained shoulder, accompanied by Adrian, clad in suit and tie, exited the chauffer-driven car and approached the mansion, which was lit up in all of its high windows. The faint sounds of music and chatter drifted from the open doors, and other guests passed them as they made their way up the path towards the doors. Adrian glanced at Cassandra, whose facial expression was made more difficult to read under the mask, which covered most of the top half of her face. But the set of her mouth and shoulders looked very apprehensive, he thought, and no wonder. He suspected this was one of the first times she'd left the house since she'd had her encounter with the supposed assassin, so it was no surprise she was scared.

As they approached the doors, Adrian began to feel uncomfortable. The back of his neck tingled as if someone was watching him. His training asserted itself for the first time since Agatha had been kidnapped, and under the pretence of looking behind him for Cassandra, he checked the area.

He spotted the person watching him almost immediately. A young, petite, woman, hair dyed a vibrant auburn, was stood by a door, chewing her thumbnail as she studied him out of the corner of her eye. Her mask and dress were pink, which clashed magnificently with her hair.

Adrian's mind worked at eighty miles an hour, assessing her stance and location, her supposed appearance, resemblance to anyone who was in their database…

She seemed sweet and slightly naïve, he thought, as he watched her turn and greet another woman enthusiastically. Generally people like that were never threats.

But he had noticed something. Her dress had deep pockets in the fabric, and there was something in one of them.

He wanted a better look at that.

He touched Cassandra's shoulder briefly.

"I need to tie my shoe. Hold on."

Cassandra, seeing perfectly well his laces were tied, frowned as he knelt down out of the way.

"What is it? Have you seen something?"

"Maybe. Do you know that woman in pink over there?"

Cassandra glanced over at the girl, who was now talking animatedly to a passing couple. Adrian's companion paused for a second, then nodded slowly as she turned back to him.

"Yes. I do. That's Kiko."

"Are you friends?"

Cassandra pursed her lips.

"Sort of."

"Well then, can you get her to come over?"

His companion nodded reluctantly, and looked back over at the girl, who, at that moment, also looked up.

She caught Cassandra's eye and beamed, waving at her across the crowd. Cassandra smiled weakly as she came bounding over, reminding Adrian of a puppy.

"Hi, Cassie!" she beamed, all smiles. Cassandra responded less enthusiastically.

"Hello, Kiko. How are you?"

"Oh! I'm fine! But what about you? I haven't seen you around for ages!"

"I've just been… busy." Said Cassandra weakly. Kiko smiled wider.

"Well, you're here tonight! It will be fun!" Her gaze drifted to Adrian as he stood back up. "Who's this?" she asked, eyes sparkling. "Is he your boyfriend, Cassie?" she teased.

Cassandra frowned at her.

"No. He's a friend. Kiko, this is Adrian. Adrian, this is Kiko. She's also a noble in the King's court."

They shook hands, and Kiko studied him curiously.

"Are you from around here? You don't look it." She asked innocently. Adrian shook his head.

"No. I'm from the south." He answered shortly, glancing down at the skirts of her gown under the pretence of looking at his nails. There was definitely something in her pockets. It looked like a-

Kiko shifted and the folds of her dress concealed it. Adrian cursed mentally and looked back up, pretending to pick something from one of his nails. Kiko looked momentarily disgruntled at what she obviously took to be his rudeness.

"Well, I'm sure you're good friends!" she said chirpily, brushing off her annoyance. "I'll see you later, Cassie! You might need to go in soon, it will be starting in a minute!" She turned and skipped away, but, as she did so, Adrian caught a final glimpse of the item in her pocket.

It looked like a small bottle.

As soon as Kiko was out of earshot, he turned to Cassandra.

"There's a bottle in her pocket. It could mean nothing, but we need to keep an eye on her."

Cassandra nodded nervously, and they turned and followed Kiko inside.

* * *

The hall was large and grand, and full of finely dressed rich people, but right now, that wasn't Adrian's concern, nor was it particularly interesting. He was here for clues or leads, not to sit at a table and drink champagne.

"Who's hosting this thing?" he murmured to Cassandra as they sat down out of the way. He felt uneasy here, and he wasn't quite sure why.

"Sir Chaddick and Lady Beatrix." Mumbled Cassandra. "Sir Chaddick is one of the King's closest friends. Lady Beatrix knows everything about everyone. If there's anywhere where you'll get a lead, it will be here."

The first few hours were uneventful. Adrian struggled his way through several tedious dances. With everyone wearing masks, it was much more difficult to notice anything, to his frustration. It had been a long time since he'd encountered so many nobles, and he'd forgotten how infuriatingly obtuse so many of them were. It made it difficult to work out if anyone was acting oddly when everyone was laughing too loudly and speaking insincerely. He sat there in his frustrations, occasionally greeting someone as people recognised Cassandra and asked who he was. He still felt uneasy, and the loudness of the hall didn't make it any easier to concentrate.

"Adrian, Sir Chaddick and Lady Beatrix are coming this way. They might know something."

Adrian looked up in the direction she was staring in, and saw a dark haired man and a blonde woman making their way over to them. The man wore military medals on his jacket, whilst the woman was dressed in expensive fabric and jewellery which showed off her wealth and rank. Cassandra stood to greet them as they reached her.

"Hello, Cassandra! Glad you could make it. It's good to see you out and about." Said Chaddick cheerfully, accepting her hand. Cassandra smiled weakly.

"Yes, well, I felt I should come."

Beatrix spoke for the first time, rearranging her peach skirts.

"We're glad. I know you were quite worried for a while."

Cassandra nodded but didn't say anything. Beatrix smiled, and her gaze caught Adrian.

"Who's this?" she asked.

"Oh. This is Adrian Bohen." Said Cassandra.

"I know you!" said Chaddick suddenly. "You came to talk to the King a few days ago."

"Yes, I did." Said Adrian, recognising Chaddick as one of the men accompanying the King when they'd first met. "It was very helpful."

"Glad to hear it. Oh, and he sent me a message to give to you if I saw you. I think he knew you were going to see Cassandra, so he must have assumed either you would be here with her tonight. But what he sent along, was that he was sorry to hear about the situation the previous day, and he would offer any guidance or help that you needed. He also said that if you needed to talk to him again, you could, by all means."

"I see. That's very good of him. Thank you to you both."

"It's not a problem." Assured Chaddick. Beatrix smiled knowingly.

"I wouldn't be surprised that he was saddened by the disappearance of Miss Woods. I think I should tell you that the King and Agatha Woods know each other better than they say. If you need any leads, King Tedros might be able to help. Enjoy the party."

Beatrix smiled and Chaddick winked, before they disappeared back into the crowd.

Adrian frowned, not sure why his stomach had writhed in those last sentences.

 _The King and Agatha Woods know each other better than they say._

Agatha had been vague and a little stiff when he'd asked her about Tedros- in fact, she'd almost seemed to dislike him. Tedros hadn't mentioned Agatha at all when he was talking to Adrian. Was it possible they did know each other well? If so, that would explain perhaps the very odd behaviour of the criminal on their first night here. If Agatha was a good friend of the King's, she would be influential. Beatrix certainly seemed to know who she was.

"Adrian? Does Agatha know the King?" asked Cassandra, confused. Adrian frowned.

"They've met. But perhaps Agatha wasn't telling me something when she told me that."

Cassandra studied him for a moment.

"Does the King have a girlfriend?" she asked finally.

Adrian felt like he'd just been punched. Tedros wasn't known to have a girlfriend, it was true. Agatha didn't have a boyfriend. It seemed ridiculous, yet the way Beatrix had spoken almost made it seem possible.

Adrian didn't reply for a minute. Then he looked up.

"Cassandra, we're going to go and see the King tomorrow."

Cassandra opened her mouth, but whatever she was about to say was cut off by a high-pitched scream.

"ASSASSIN! ASSASSIN! LADY BEATRIX HAS BEEN POISONED!"


	10. Belladonna, Moonstone and Mason

**Chapter 10:**

Adrian leaped to his feet as the room descended into chaos. People were screaming, and there was a large group of guests in the centre of the room, circling where he assumed Beatrix was. Some ran for the exits

He went to move forwards, but Cassandra grabbed his arm. He could see her hand shaking, but she pointed all the same.

"A-Adrian! Look!"

He spun, just in time to see Kiko disappear through a side door, shoving something back in the pockets of her dress.

A bottle.

 _The_ bottle.

"Cassandra, stay with Chaddick and Beatrix." He said calmly, much, much calmer than he felt. Cassandra went white.

"You think Kiko-" she began, gripping his bicep tightly.

"Yes." Adrian cut her off before she could work herself up. "Phone me when you can. I'm going after her."

And before she could protest, he shook her arm off, and ran after Kiko.

* * *

The side door led to a darkened corridor. Evidently guests weren't meant to come down this way.

He glanced left and right, trying to see where Kiko had gone. She wouldn't have gone further into the building, she'd be trying to get out-

A thud echoed from the right hand side, the corridor leading to the exit. He spun, and hurried after the noise, now sure that she was trying to escape. The bottle in her pocket had been poison. Why hadn't he _realised?_ Or at the very least suspected.

Now he'd have to try and catch Kiko, before she could escape the building and get away.

He heard the scream of sirens from outside, and as he rounded the corner, and saw Kiko at the other end, wrestling with a door handle, just as an ambulance and a police car roared into the courtyard. He could see them from the high windows lining the hall, and Kiko obviously could too. She spun, breathing heavily, and saw him stood there.

She froze.

They stood there for a minute, staring at each other. Then Kiko spun to a side door and tried that too, but it was also locked.

She spun towards him and her hand dug in her pocket. Adrian began to run towards her, intending to reach her before she could grab whatever she had in her skirt pockets-

Another set of hurried footsteps echoed behind him, but he'd barely turned around before he was tackled, and, as he hit the ground so hard he knew he'd be bruised for weeks, he realised who it was.

"Ch-Chaddick! Let go! She poisoned your wife!" he gasped, trying in vain to wrench from the other man's grip. Chaddick paused for a second, then answered.

"Did she?"

Adrian struggled for breath, bemused.

"Chaddick! Please, there's an ambulance! She's a criminal! Let me go!"

Chaddick only smiled wider.

"Do you know your poisons, Agent Adrian Bohen?"

"I-yes, I…"

"Then surely you know that there are "poisons" that can bring about brief unconsciousness, right? And after all, if someone who was in on it raised the alarm…and then "escaped" to draw you here…"

Adrian stopped, feeling like he'd just run straight into a brick wall.

He'd fallen into a trap.

Stupid! Stupid! _Stupid!_

"W-who _are_ you? Beatrix? Kiko? What do you want?"

"Well. It's not so much as what we want, as what Lady A wants." Said Kiko, beaming. "We do her bidding, after all. We're not quite as famous as beautiful Dean Nevermore, or fierce Lupus, or fabled Inkclaw, but we do our best. After all, it's much easier if you're not known. My name is Belladonna, and I'm the poison expert. This here is Mason, and his wife is Moonstone. They're our best kidnappers."

Adrian broke into a cold sweat. Beatrix wasn't poisoned! She wasn't even injured.

"Where's Cassandra?" he gasped, suddenly realising that he'd told her to stay with two people, one of whom was here and the other who was being taken to hospital.

Chaddick- or Mason- shrugged.

"I don't know, but she's with us, mate. Working with us. She lured you here. She's not malicious at all, but she's a bit of a scaredy-cat. We're forcing her to."

Poor, scared Cassandra had been forced to betray him. He remembered how terrified she'd been when he and Agatha had first met her. No wonder.

"But what about Agatha? What have you done with her? Who took her?"

The two assassins exchanged amused glances through their masks.

Masks.

It was a masquerade ball on purpose. Adrian wouldn't be able to identify them properly, because they were wearing masks. They really had thought this all through.

"Well, it was our Lupus who broke into her room to take her. As for what we've done with her… our Lady was interested in Agatha, especially her knowledge about the King."

They must have seen the look on his face. He hadn't known he'd made a facial expression until he hurriedly dropped the frown.

"Oh? Are you jealous, Adrian?" giggled Kiko.

Adrian went to reply, but Chaddick huffed impatiently and tightened his grip on his arms.

"Alright, Belladonna, ridicule him about his love life later. We're going now. We're on a schedule, and the Lady hates tardiness. You should know. You're always taking too long on missions."

Kiko sighed.

"I know. You're right. Let's get going."

"You- you can't-the police-"

Chaddick snorted derisively.

"Oh, the police? They won't come round here. Besides, as far as they're concerned, both you and I are chasing the assassin who poisoned my wife. That's what Cassandra will tell them."

"She'll not say that." Gasped Adrian. "She'll tell the police the truth!"

"Well. She might. But Officer Ravenswood and Officer Bloodbrook will know if she doesn't say what we told her to. Because they're with us. And Cassandra doesn't know _that._ "

Kiko smiled sweetly down at him.

"They'll play it off to their colleagues."

Adrian was lost for words. His head was reeling with all the information he'd been told, all the truths that had been unravelled in the last few minutes. He didn't have words to describe how he felt to realise that he'd been tricked and duped like an amateur. It must have been child's play for them. Now he knew why one of those reports had been wrong. Because it was made up. he needed to get to the bottom of what had really happened.

His mind whirring, he began to work through what had happened, trying to make sense of it all-

Chaddick and Kiko were watching the police and ambulance outside quietly, lips pursed-

No, not Chaddick and Kiko.

 _Belladonna and Mason_. Two deadly assassins, not two outgoing nobles in the King's court0-

The King's court!

Tedros!

He needed to warn him. God only knew how many more of his courtiers were in league with the assassins- they could be planning another attack on him right now, and that would mean certain doom for Camelot. The young ruler's recovery was the only thing stopping mass panic.

He had to escape. He had to get to the castle and warn King Tedros. Forcing down a twinge of resentment against him for Agatha would be easy if he could only-

He was wrenched roughly to his feet.

"Come on, Adrian." Said Chaddick cheerfully. "Let's take you to Lady A."


End file.
